Figure skater honours late Russian parents at championship one year following fatal plane crash

An emotional moment unfolded at the US Figure Skating Championships as Maxim Naumov stepped back onto competitive ice less than a year after losing both of his parents in a devastating plane crash near Washington, D.C. The appearance marked a powerful return for the 24-year-old skater, whose life and career were upended by the tragedy.

Naumov’s parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, were former world champions and Olympic competitors who had become respected coaches in the United States. They were among the 67 people killed when a commercial aircraft collided with a military helicopter during its approach to Washington. US media outlets recalled that more than two dozen of the victims were figure skaters, coaches, and family members returning from a development camp held after last year’s national championships.

At the time of the crash, Maxim Naumov had already returned home on an earlier flight after placing fourth at the previous nationals. His parents remained behind for the camp, travelling separately on what would become their final journey. One of Naumov’s last conversations with them centered on his Olympic ambitions and what it would take to secure a place on the U.S. team for the upcoming Games in Italy.

When Naumov took to the ice at this year’s championships, he carried that memory with him. Skating with a childhood photo of himself at age three, standing between his parents, he delivered a short program that visibly moved the audience. Opening with a quad salchow and closing with a triple-triple combination, his performance briefly put him in the lead and firmly in contention heading into the free skate.

In the months following the crash, Naumov became a public face of the loss felt throughout the skating community. He appeared at a benefit event in Washington that raised more than $1.2 million for the families of the victims, while also processing his own grief away from the spotlight.

The son of a celebrated Russian pairs team that won the 1994 World Championship, Naumov grew up immersed in skating. After settling in Connecticut and later Norwood, Massachusetts, his parents became central figures at the Skating Club of Boston, where they mentored young athletes and founded the “Tomorrow’s Champions” youth program. Maxim emerged as both a beneficiary of their guidance and, later, a guardian of their legacy, assuming responsibility for the program after their deaths.

His competitive success began early. At 17, he won the US novice title in 2017, and three years later captured the national junior championship under his father’s coaching. Yet after the crash, his future in the sport was uncertain. For months, Naumov focused on commemorative performances rather than competition, including the “Legacy on Ice” show in Washington, D.C., and an exhibition at the 2025 World Championships in Boston.

When he chose to return to elite competition, Naumov sought guidance from Vladimir Petrenko, a close family friend and brother of Olympic champion Victor Petrenko. Describing their work together, Petrenko said, “Every time Max and I step onto the ice, there is always a quiet emotional layer under the training process. On the surface, we are focused, working, analyzing techniques, pushing toward goals. But somewhere deeper there is always a feeling that they are with us. Sometimes it is a memory, sometimes a moment of reflection, sometimes simply a feeling of calm presence.”

By Nazrin Sadigova